Vehicle object detection system

Abstract

A vehicle object detection system includes a vehicle body structure, a sensing device, a video display and a controller. The vehicle body structure defines a passenger compartment and has an underside section a predetermined height above ground. The sensing device detects height of an object within a prescribed area adjacent to the underside section as the vehicle body structure approaches the object. The video display is viewable from within the passenger compartment and displays images representing the prescribed area adjacent to the underside section of the vehicle body structure. The controller is configured to process object information received from the sensing device in order to determine the height of the object, and display images on the video display representing the object along with a representation of the height of the object relative to the underside section and images representing the underside section of the vehicle.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A vehicle object detection system comprising:
 a vehicle body structure defining a passenger compartment and having an underside section located at a predetermined height above ground below the vehicle body structure; 
 a sensing device configured to detect an object within a prescribed area adjacent to the underside section of the vehicle body structure as the vehicle body structure approaches the object, the sensing device including at least one video camera; 
 a video display viewable from within the passenger compartment configured to display images representing the prescribed area adjacent to the underside section of the vehicle body structure; and 
 a controller configured to process object information received from the sensing device to determine the height of the object, and display images on the video display representing the object along with a representation of the height of the object relative to the underside section and images representing the underside section and the height of the underside section of the vehicle body structure, 
 the controller is further configured to continually determine a location of the object in response to movement of the vehicle body structure, and in response to the controller determining that the object is outside of a viewable range of the video camera, the controller is further configured to display a faux image of the object on the video display based upon a determined location of the object. 
 
     
     
       2. The vehicle object detection system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the sensing device includes a detection and ranging system, and the controller is configured to continually determine location of the object in response to movement of the vehicle body structure, and in response to the controller determining that the object is determined to be outside of a sensing area of the detection and ranging system, the controller is further configured to display a faux image of the object on the video display based upon a determined location of the object. 
 
     
     
       3. The vehicle object detection system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the sensing device is a detection and ranging system, and the representation of the height of the object relative to the predetermined height of the underside section above the ground includes the controller generating a tangent line passing through a closest surface of the object relative to the vehicle and superimposing the tangent line onto the video display. 
 
     
     
       4. The vehicle object detection system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the sensing device includes a detection and ranging system, and 
 the representation of the height of the object relative to the predetermined height of the underside section above the ground includes faux images generated by the controller in response to data received from the detection and ranging system combined with video images from the at least one video camera. 
 
     
     
       5. The vehicle object detection system according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the representation of the height of the object relative to the predetermined height of the underside section above the ground includes the controller generating a tangent line passing through a closest surface of the object relative to the vehicle and superimposing the tangent line onto the video display. 
 
     
     
       6. The vehicle object detection system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the representation of the height of the object relative to the predetermined height of the underside section above the ground includes the controller generating a tangent line passing through a closest surface of the object relative to the vehicle and superimposing the tangent line onto the video display. 
 
     
     
       7. The vehicle object detection system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the controller is further configured to determine height of a plurality of surfaces of the object in response to the object having a plurality of detectable surfaces at differing heights, and 
 the representation of the height of the object relative to the predetermined height of the underside section above the ground includes the controller generating a plurality of tangent lines, each tangent line representative of differing ones of the plurality of detectable surfaces of the object, and superimposing each of the tangent lines onto the video display. 
 
     
     
       8. The vehicle object detection system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the representation of the height of the object relative to the predetermined height of the underside section above the ground includes the controller generating a rectangular representation of the object relative to the vehicle and superimposing the rectangular representation onto the video display. 
 
     
     
       9. A vehicle object detection system comprising:
 a vehicle body structure defining a passenger compartment and having an underside section located at a predetermined height above ground below the vehicle body structure; 
 a sensing device configured to detect an object within a prescribed area adjacent to the underside section of the vehicle body structure as the vehicle body structure approaches the object; 
 a video display viewable from within the passenger compartment configured to display images representing the prescribed area adjacent to the underside section of the vehicle body structure; and 
 a controller configured to process object information received from the sensing device to determine the height of the object, and display images on the video display representing the object along with a representation of the height of the object relative to the underside section and images representing the underside section and the height of the underside section of the vehicle body structure, the controller being provided with predetermined dimensions corresponding to physical dimensions of the vehicle body structure, and the images representing the underside section of the vehicle body structure are generated based upon the predetermined dimensions, and 
 the controller is further configured to receive inputted modified dimensions such that in response to the modified dimensions being received, the predetermined dimensions are replaced with the modified dimensions and the images representing the underside section of the vehicle body structure are generated based upon the modified dimensions. 
 
     
     
       10. The vehicle object detection system according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the controller is configured to generate the modified dimensions in response to a portion of the vehicle body structure being re-positioned. 
 
     
     
       11. A vehicle object detection system comprising:
 a vehicle body structure defining a passenger compartment and having an underside section located at a predetermined height above ground below the vehicle body structure, the underside section including an outermost outboard surface and a downward facing surface; 
 a sensing device configured to detect an object within a prescribed area adjacent to the underside section of the vehicle body structure as the vehicle body structure approaches the object; 
 a video display viewable from within the passenger compartment configured to display images representing the prescribed area adjacent to the underside section of the vehicle body structure; and 
 a controller configured to process object information received from the sensing device to determine the height of the object, and display images on the video display representing the object along with a representation of the height of the object relative to the underside section and images representing the underside section and the height of the underside section of the vehicle body structure, the controller further being configured to issue a warning signal in response to determining that the underside section is within a predetermined distance from the object, 
 the controller being configured to issue a first warning signal in response to determining that the outboard surface of the vehicle is approaching the object, and the controller being configured to issue a second warning signal different from the first warning signal in response to determining that the downward facing surface is approaching the object. 
 
     
     
       12. The vehicle object detection system according to  claim 1 , wherein the underside section is a surface of the vehicle body structure facing downward. 
     
     
       13. The vehicle object detection system according to  claim 1 , wherein the underside section is a lower surface of a bumper fascia panel. 
     
     
       14. The vehicle object detection system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the underside section is a surface of a vehicle tire.